Direction signal for automobiles



' 11,451,795 c. THOMPSON DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 20, 1922 Invenor Patented pr. 17, 1923.

tries Filtrate.

DIRECTION SIGNAL AUTOMOBILES.

Appiiation alec Marcil zo, 1922. serial No. 545,271.

ToaZZ whom t may/concern: t

Be it known that I, CHARLES THOMPSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing' in the city of Hamilton, in the county`o'l`-VVentworth, in the Province of Ontario, `Dominion of Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction Signals for Automobiles, ot' which the following` is a specification.

My invention relates `to improvements in direction signals for automobiles andthe object of the invention is to devise a system ol' signals which will be positive in operation and which will clearly indicate to persons either in front of or to the rear of the auto-mobile the direction in which the same is about to turn. t

My invention consists essentially of a pair of pivotallymounted signal lamps, onexbeing at each side of the` automobile, `directional indicating marks carried atleach side or the lamps, the lamps normally disposed parallel to the length of the car, means whereby the lamps may bel simultaneouslv swung laterally about their pivot points, in the same direction, all as hereinafter more particularly described and .illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan view` of a partoi:I the cowl of an automobile showing my invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is an elevational detail showing the method of mounting one oi' my signal lamps, being shown partly iii-section. t

Fig. 3 is plan view of a flanged mountinofor the lamps.

iig. 4" is a lsection on Fig. 3. t t

Figz is a section on the line 5, 5 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrow.`

6 is a-Asection on the line 6, 6 oli Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is` a central vertical longitudinal sectionithrough one of my signal lamps. t

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8, 8 of Fig. Sis a fragmentary detail showing in elevation the connection between the bell crank lever andthe links operating the two the line ll, 4L of Sia-hel. lamps- ,1. Fig. 10 is a plan view of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the bell crank lever and. operating bar connected therewith.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the diterent views.

1 is the automobile body and 2 Vis the cowl portion thereof. i

and 31 are my signal lamps `which `comprise the bent iframe `portion e, madepreferably of sheet metal, and 'forming the top. and bottom of the lamps.

5 are .inwardlyT bent flanges at each side ot the frame portion t and Gare longitudinally disposed angle strips secured to the inside of the portion 4 and having the inwardly bent flanges 61. The flanges 5 and 61 form between them guideways adapted to receive the side glasses 7 of the'lamp.

8 is theelectric bulb which is mounted in the socket 9 in the usual manner in each lamp. t

10 is the rear portion ot the lamp which is preferably made oi' sheet metal having the top and bottom flanges 11 and is sccuredto the lamp by the bolts 12. t

13 are directional indicating arrows formed on the side glasses 7 and point torwardly. These are made so as to be .illuminated by the bulb in the lamp and may be formed of a clear portion oiV the .,Q'lass,` the remainder of the body of the glass being dark and opaque.

14 is a lens mounted in the front end ci each lamp. t

15 is ay depending journal portion carried by each lamp and is provided with the axial orifice y1G through which the electric wires 17 extend. t n y 1S are flanged mountings for the lamps and are secured to the cowl 2 nea-r each side of the automobile by bolts 19 extending through the .orifices in the flanges i2() and also through registering orifices in the cowl.

The lower depending portioustengage orifices in the cowl andthe upwardly extending' portions 22 support the lamps. p y

Each mounting is provided with the axial bearing orifice 23 adapted to `receive the journal portion 15. v

The journal portionl extends helowthe lower end of the mounting 18 and the clamp 24 engages the lower end of the journal, being rigidly secured thereto by means of the bolts 25 (see Fig. 6).

The clamps 24 are disposed so that the shank portions thereof extend longitudinally and rearwardly of the lamps (see Figs. 1 and 2).

26 are curved arms each having an orifice adjacent to the outer end. These arms are pivotally connected to the clamps 24 by means of the bolts 27 which engage the orifices in the outer end of the arms and orifices 28 formed in the clamps 24. f

29is a depending hanged mounting secured to the under side of the cowl by the bolts 30 and is located centrally of the width of the automobile and approximately in line with the mountings 18.

` 31 is av threaded axial orifice extending upwardly into the lower end of the mounting 29.

32 is a bell crank lever having the central portion 33 and the upper and lower sp-aced arms 34 and 35 respectively.

The central portion 33 is provided with the axial bearing orifice 36 therethrough and the outer end of the arms 34 and 35 are provided with the orifices 37 and 38 respectively.

39 is an operating bar pivotally connected at one end to the arm 35 by means of a bolt 391 which extends through the orifice 38 in the arm 35 and through a registering orifice in the bar 39. 40 is a handle grip carried by the free end of the bar 39.

The bell crank lever is pivotally connected 4 to the mounting 29 by the bolt 41 which eX- tends 'upwardly through the orifice 36 and the inner threaded end of which enga-ges the threaded orifice 31 in the mounting 29.

42 and 421 are transversely disposed links connecting the arms 26 and the end of the upper arm 34 of the bell crank lever 32.

The outer ends of the links are threaded and engage correspondingly threaded orifices in the arms 26. The inner ends of the links overlap each other and are disposed above and below the end of the arm 34 of the bell crank lever 32. They are also provided with orifices which register with the orifice 37 in the bell crank lever 32 and the three members are pivotally connected by the bolt 43 which extends through all three orifices. This connection is shown in Figures 9 and 10.

The construction and operation of my device is as follows. f

The invention is adapted to be fitted to any automobile, the lamps being mounted above lthe cowl and as near the sides thereof as possible. The portions l5 extend through and below the cowl and the entire operating mechanism issituated under the cowl..

Normally the lamps occupy the positions shown in full lines in Figure 1 in which they point forwardly and the directional arrows 13 also point forwardly.

In order to indicate a turn to the right the handle 40 would be pushed forwardly. This would rotate the bell crank lever 32 in a clockwise direction thus also moving the arm. 34 thereof clockwise and reciprocating the links 42 and 421 towards the left. This rotates the clamps 24- clockwise and since they are rigidly secured to the journal portions 15, the lamps are moved into the positions indicated in dotted lines at A Fig. 1.

In this position the arrows 13 on the front and rear glasses of the right hand lamp indicate to both front and rear of the car that a'turn to the right is to be made.

If a turn to the left is torbe made the handle 40 is pulled rearwardly, when` the reverse of the above described y operations takes place and the lamps are thrown into the positions indicated in dotted lines at B in Fig. 1.

I provide a lens 14 in the front end of each lamp so that ordinarily when in the norma-l positions pointing directly ahead they will show a brightlight ahead and act as ordinary side lamps. Also when stopping at the curb at nightif the lamp was turned to that side the frontlens would illuminate the side walk or entrance to a house. p

While I have illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention it is obvious that various modifications could be made in the exact details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claim and therefore the forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

For instance the shape of my lamp might be considerably altered.

Also the particular system of links shown for oscillating the lamps might be altered or the lamps could be oscillated magnetically.

From the foregoing it will be evident that I have devised an improved system of directional signals for automobiles which will be positive in operation and the use of which should be of great benefit to the public at large. l;

What I claim as my invention is:

In a direction signal device for automobiles the combination with the cowl portion of the automobile and a pair of signal lamps located one at each side thereof, of bearing bracketsvcarried by the cowl, depending journal portions carriedvby each lamp and extending downwardly through said brackets, rearwardly extending arms fixedly carried by .the lower ends'of vthe journal portions below the bearing brackets, `a bell crank lever, an operating handle connected to one arm of the bell crank, disends of the distance links pivotally connectnormally disposed longitudinally of the au- 10 ed to the second arm of the bell crank, the tomobile and adapted to extend laterally bebell crank lever being pivotally suspended yond the automobile When in the swung :from the under side of the cowl and adapted positions.

. to be oscillated by the operating handle for reciprocating the distance links and oscil- CHARLES THMPSON lating the lamps simultaneously in either Witnesses: direction, and directional indicating means JOHN G. HAYWARD,

carried by each sidey of the lamps, the lamps NomEN CoLEs. 

